Gateway Bronco at Barrett-Jackson Palm Beach

Lifestyle

People who’ve never been to a Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auction might assume that all the action takes place on stage as the cars, trucks and SUVs roll across the auction block. The high-profile vehicles may capture most of the headlines, but Barrett-Jackson has far more occurring than just bidders competing for cars. A weekend at Barrett-Jackson includes must-see displays, hot lap demonstrations and thrill rides, and panel discussions with industry movers and shakers.

Gateway Bronco was right in the thick of it all at the Barrett-Jackson Palm Beach Auction, April 13-15, which was also the event’s 20th anniversary. Gateway Bronco’s popular display drew attention with Brittany Blue and Dark Blue Broncos for sale that allowed participants to personally experience the precision construction and quality of materials that go into each of the company’s builds.

 

Important issues also received time in the spotlight at Palm Beach. Ford Motor Company, as part of ongoing efforts to attract youth to jobs in the automotive industry, collaborated with Barrett-Jackson to organize a symposium on STEM-related topics. The primary focus was to show the kids the wide variety of automotive jobs available, from engineering and design, to repair and custom fabrication, to journalism and marketing, in the industry.

Gateway Bronco CEO and Founder Seth Burgett joined Jim Owens, Ford Mustang Brand Manager, Steve Davis, President of Barrett-Jackson, Frankie Mederos from Ford of Kendall and other panelists to inspire the high-schoolers and young adults to consider careers in the automotive industry. In addition to first-hand accounts from these industry veterans, students had the chance to ride with professional drivers in hot laps in a Mach 1 Mustang, view the new 2024 Mustang, visit the Shelby American rig, tour the fairgrounds, and participate in photo sessions with the panelists.

 

“Finding and developing automotive talent is crucial for the future health of the industry,” Burgett said. Building the next generation of car builders is not just talk for Burgett, but backed up by action at Gateway Bronco. Burgett invited the students in Palm Beach to apply for Gateway Bronco’s internship programs and announced the next wave of hires. “We’re hiring six graduating students from the Carroll Shelby Automotive Program at Northeast Texas Community College in May,” he said. This is in addition to expanding the team with a recent graduate of WyoTech technical college.

That’s not the only news from Gateway Bronco for the month of May. Another highlight at Barrett-Jackson Palm Beach was demonstrations of the new Gateway Bronco 3D Configurator, which will allow people to build the Bronco of their dreams through the company’s website. The Configurator goes live on May 2, and fans at Barrett-Jackson enjoyed a sneak peek demonstrations of the advanced technology.

 

The auction block at Palm Beach delivered its share of excitement, but those who roved the grounds and took in the full Barrett-Jackson experience discovered a dynamic corner of the industry at Gateway Bronco. It was a great way to celebrate the event’s big anniversary.